Raelia (The Medoran Chronicles Book 2) (29 page)

“Oww!” he cried, flinching backwards and holding a hand to his forehead.

“What are you
doing
?” Alex asked, massaging her throbbing skull.

“Trying to wake the dead, apparently,” he said. “I have no idea how you slept so well. The rest of us hardly managed a wink.”

Looking around, Alex could see that her classmates didn’t exactly look well rested. But she felt better than she had in a while, that was for sure.

“Why’d you wake me?” she asked, unzipping her sleeping bag and stretching her limbs.

“The river’s ending,” he said, pointing to stagnant body of water not too far ahead. “I thought you might want something to eat before we have to tackle whatever’s next.”

That was thoughtful of him, so she decided not to be annoyed that he’d woken her from the best sleep she’d had all week.

“Thanks, Jordan.”

He smiled and handed over her backpack. She wasn’t hungry, but she knew she’d need her strength for whatever Hunter had in store for them, so she guzzled down an energy bar and a handful of dehydrated fruit, along with a good portion of water. The bottles they’d been given seemed to have some kind of automatic refill as none of them had run out of water. That was convenient, at least in Alex’s opinion.

“What’s the plan?” she asked Jordan as she packed away her gear.

He shrugged. “Same as yesterday. Look for the next arrow, follow the instructions, and hopefully make it home later this arvo.”

She re-zipped her pack. “I can’t wait for this day to be over.”

“Aren’t you enjoying it at least a little bit?”

Jordan looked so excited that Alex didn’t have the heart to bring him down with a reminder of the dangerous situations they’d faced the previous day. “It’s been challenging, but we’re still alive. So, yay for that,” she agreed.

“What are we yaying?” Declan asked, shuffling over to join their conversation.

“Life,” Alex said simply.

“A good yay-point, for sure,” he agreed with a grin.

“You’re chirpy this morning,” Alex observed, noting the happy expression on his face.

“Why shouldn’t I be?” Declan threw his hands behind his head and leaned back against the raft’s side. “The sky is blue, the birds are singing—it’s going to be a beautiful day.”

Alex looked from him to Jordan and back again, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. “Has someone used the relaxant stuff on you?”

Declan chuckled and shook his head, but then his expression turned solemn and he leaned forward to whisper, “If you get a chance, you might want to speak with Pip about what happened
yesterday. She’s back to normal now, and I think she’s a little embarrassed about it all.”

Alex looked over her shoulder at Pipsqueak who was sitting on the opposite side of the raft and staring morosely out at the water.

“Will do,” Alex promised.

“All right, guys,” Tom said, capturing everyone’s attention. “We’re not moving much anymore, so I say it’s time for us to search around for the arrow on land.”

They all agreed, and as a team they leaned over the side of the raft and used their hands to paddle until they reached the riverbank and scrambled out one by one.

Leaving the raft behind but taking the rest of their possessions with them, it took half an hour of aimless wandering in the area before they found the next arrow. In that time, Alex was able to pull Pipsqueak aside to speak with her. It turned out that Pip was ashamed of her relaxant-blurred memories from the previous day, but after a few words of encouragement, Alex managed to cheer her up and she returned to her normal self.

“We have a simple task this time,” Tom said, scanning the newest instructions. “It says, ‘Continue south until you reach the village.’”

That seemed easy enough, to Alex’s relief. But that relief turned into whining grumbles when, six hours and fifteen Hunter-laid traps later, they still hadn’t reached the village.

“I’m
tired
,” Skyla complained when they stopped for lunch.

“We’re
all
tired,” Pipsqueak grumbled back.

“My feet hurt,” Skyla continued to complain.

No one bothered replying that time.

After another two hours the forest began to thin and the greenery started to dry out. The rocky dirt beneath their feet turned into sandy dust, and the air became hotter and dryer.

“I can’t believe Hunter would lead us into the Soori Desert,” Pipsqueak said, sounding exhausted. “That’s so irresponsible of him. The desert is dangerous.”

After everything else they’d faced—which, granted, Pip didn’t remember as vividly as the rest of them—Alex didn’t doubt that the desert was exactly like somewhere Hunter might send them. But it turned out they didn’t have to worry about entering the arid wasteland. Because on the outskirts of the forest, just before the woodsy landscape morphed into unending dunes of sand, they found the village.

‘Village’ was such an inadequate term for the intimidating, fortified walls that surrounded the buildings within. Alex and her classmates scaled a tree in order to get a glimpse into the settlement, but even that view wasn’t comforting. The village looked more like some kind of military compound than anything else.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Alex said as they all balanced in the tree.

“I have the same feeling,” Kaiden muttered in agreement. “And I think it’s about to get worse.”

He pointed at something just above her head and Alex realised she’d been so focused on the village that she’d missed the arrow. She reached up and tore off the paper note.

Enter the command outpost at the top of the garrison

and retrieve the red envelope.

IT IS IN YOUR BEST INTERESTS

TO REMAIN UNSEEN.

When your task is complete, open the envelope for

more instructions and the Bubbledoor to take you to

your next destination.

“At least there’s no riddle,” Jordan commented after she read the instructions out loud.

As one, Alex and her classmates all turned to look at him.

“What?” he asked.

“Did you hear the same words as the rest of us?” Pipsqueak asked, her tone almost hysterical. “We have to break into a military outpost—and the command centre, at that! We’re
so
going to prison for this.”

“Yo, check out the wicked-looking weapons they’re holding,” Blink said, pointing to one of the guards walking along the top of the wall carrying some kind of silvery object in his hands.

“Standard-issue military Stabiliser,” Kaiden informed the rest of them. “One shot will knock you unconscious for ten minutes; a second shot in that time will kill you.”

Alex looked at him questioningly but he avoided her gaze, along with everyone else’s. She wondered if advanced weapons knowledge was common in Medora, but for some reason, she doubted that was the case.

“What’s our plan of action?” she asked, taking the clearly unwanted attention off him.

“First off, we need to find the outpost Hunter’s note refers to,” Tom said.

“It’s over there,” Kaiden replied, pointing to a part of the wall that rose higher than the rest, almost like a tower.

While his answer seemed the logical choice, Alex wasn’t sure why he seemed so convinced. Apparently Tom was doubtful as well.

“How do you know?” the apprentice asked.

“I’ve been here before,” Kaiden said.

Alex wasn’t the only one gaping at him, but she was the first to get over her shock.

“That sounds like a good enough reason to me,” she said, moving the attention off him again. “Now we just have to figure
out how to get over there and back without being seen. Any ideas?”

“I don’t think we all need to go,” Pipsqueak said. “There’s no point in everyone getting caught.”

“Pip’s right,” Tom agreed. “The more of us who try to sneak in, the less stealthy we’ll be.”

“I’ll go,” Kaiden said. “I already know where to look.”

“I’ll go with you,” Declan said.

“No,
I’ll
go,” Jordan said. “My gift will get us in and out without being seen.”

When everyone but Alex looked at him in question, he explained how his gift of transcendence could make him and anyone he touched disappear. Their anxious expressions vanished with his words and they were immediately more confident of the mission’s success.

“Did anyone think to bring a ComTCD?” Tom asked.

“I did,” Skyla said as she pulled her sparkly pink Device from her bag and handed it over.

“That’s, um, very pretty,” Tom said, holding the glitter-covered piece of tech precariously between his fingers as if fearing the bedazzlement might be contagious. “Anyone else?”

“Here,” Pipsqueak said, handing over her plain black ComTCD.

“I’ll open a link between us so we can stay in contact,” Tom explained, fiddling with both Devices.

“You won’t be able to see us while I’m using my gift,” Jordan said, securing his and Kaiden’s backpacks to the tree.

“I’m not using the holograph function,” Tom said. “Just the audio setting so we can hear what’s going on around you in case something goes wrong.”

“We’ll be fine,” Jordan said, but he accepted the offered ComTCD and slid it into his pocket.

Kaiden didn’t look as confident as Jordan, and Alex was pretty sure she heard him mumble under his breath, “This isn’t going to work.” But despite his words, he shimmied down the tree, followed closely by Jordan. When they were at the wall, Jordan reached out to grasp Kaiden’s shoulder and both of them disappeared from sight.

“Now we wait,” Declan said. He sounded as miserable as Alex felt at being left behind. If she could have come up with a valid reason for joining them, she would have. But here she was, stuck sitting safely in a tree and waiting anxiously for their return.

Minutes passed and with them came whispered updates through the ComTCD.

“
We’re through the gate.”

“
We’ve reached the other side of the compound.
”

“
We’ve found the stairs leading to the command outpost.
”

“
We’re on the top of the wall
.”

“
We’ve just entered the command centre.
”

“
We can see—
”

An unknown voice interrupted the update. “
General Drock, I sense intruders
.”

“
Search the room!
” said another, louder voice. “
Seize them immediately!
”

“
Their thoughts are scattered, General. I can’t hear why they’re here, but I do sense that they’re hiding near the doorway
,” the first voice said.

“
Run!
” came Jordan’s cry.

“
After them!
” ordered the authoritative voice.

Alex’s heart was thumping in her chest as she imagined the scene playing out in the compound.

“What do we do?” she asked. “We have to help them!”

“If we go in there now, we’ll only cause more problems,” Tom said. “Give them a few minutes. Between both of their gifts, they should be able to escape.”

Alex had no idea what Kaiden’s gift was, but unless he could teleport them both out, she didn’t see how he’d be able to help their situation.

“Kaiden’s been in there before, Alex,” Declan said, squeezing her arm in comfort. “He’ll have a few tricks up his sleeve, don’t worry.”

Despite his words, Alex could see Declan was just as concerned as she was.

They waited ten nail-biting minutes before they heard anything, but finally the update came.

“
We got away. We’re coming back out.
”

Alex felt like cheering, but she knew it would be stupid to make such a noise. She waited nervously for Kaiden and Jordan to appear, and when they did, she wasn’t sure whether to laugh or yell at them. They were panting when they climbed up the tree and it was clear they’d been running for their lives.

“What happened?” Tom asked once they’d caught their breath.

“One of them was gifted,” Kaiden said. “A very strong mind reader.”

“Did you get the package?” Pipsqueak asked.

The frustrated looks on their faces answered for them.

“You’re both safe,” Alex said. “That’s the main thing. It was a reckless task to begin with, something Hunter never should’ve asked us to do.”

“But that envelope holds the next Bubbledoor,” Pipsqueak said miserably. “We need it to get out of here.”

“What do you suggest we do, Pip?” Tom sounded irritated. “The entire compound will be on high alert now. And if there’s a mind reader in there, they’ll all know the moment any of us enter that command centre.”

Alex froze and looked up at Jordan. His eyes begged her to stay silent, but she knew what she had to do.

“I can get in there,” she whispered. The words stuck in her throat, so she made herself repeat them, loud enough for the others to hear.

“Weren’t you listening, Alex?” Tom said. “There’s a
mind reader
in there. We won’t be able to get within twenty feet of that envelope, not while he’s around.”

“He won’t be able to read me.”

Her classmates looked at her as if she was crazy, all except Jordan, who seemed resigned to accept her decision.

“My gift allows me a certain amount of… um…
choice
, when it comes to other people using their gifts on me,” she explained vaguely. “The mind reader won’t be able to sense me at all, let alone read my thoughts. I’m the only chance we have at getting that envelope.”

“Prove it,” Pip said.

Alex glanced at her. “What?”

“Prove it,” Pip repeated. “Touch my hand.”

Giving her a searching look, Alex did as ordered.

Pip’s face scrunched in concentration and her grip tightened almost painfully. She was breathing heavily by the time she let go of Alex’s hand, staring at her with incredulous eyes.

“Blink, you try,” the small girl said.

For the first time since Alex had met him, Blink seemed uncomfortable. But Pipsqueak was determined, and she reached for his hand and joined it with Alex’s.

“Do it, Blink. We need to know if she’s telling the truth.”

Blink looked at Alex in apology and slowly closed his eyes. His body began to vibrate and Alex felt the tremors shake all the way up her arm, but after a few seconds he stilled again.